Category Archive

It worked for me

Choosing to move beyond your past to become a parent

Michelle is a brand-new mama who is still getting the hang of things, especially when she wasn’t totally sure she was going to be a mom, ever, in the first place.

10 reasons why getting a puppy when you’re pregnant is totally awesome

Even though she’s nicknamed Cat, this girl is one serious dog lover. Cat’s written up ten reasons why getting a puppy while pregnant could be among the best decisions you make.

When holding your child out means giving him a boost up

Recently the New York Times published an article discussing “redshirting,” the practice of holding a child out for an extra year prior to entering kindergarten. Here’s one parent’s experience with the concept…

What do your kids call you?

I tend to not let society or scientific findings sway my mothering instincts too much. I, of course, accept certain social norms, only to make it easier on Abbi growing up, but I rely mostly on my own judgment and sense of right and wrong. Ultimately, I, NOT SOCIETY, am responsible for the human being I am raising in my home. She has never been any less than a developing adult human…one that needs me to love, accept, set an example for and teach her.

What to do when breastfeeding just doesn’t work

Laura tried breastfeeding her son, Sammy, and you know what? It turns out breastfeeding isn’t for everyone — mamas and babies alike — and that’s ok.

Everybody deals with death differently: my advice for how to talk to those of us who’ve lost a child

At the dentist, getting my nails done, meeting new people, often times the fact that I have a son who has passed away (how’s that one sound?) ends up coming up in the conversation. I worry about it often because it’s not something most people are prepared to handle talking about. Should you be overly sympathetic? Ignore it?

Using myth to teach your toddler about life

One of my greatest joys as a mother to a toddler has been translating the world to my son, one little story at a time. At his age, 2, concerns over sleep patterns and eating habits have taken a backseat to his emotional and cognitive development. His reasoning is budding but still rudimentary, which leaves me, his guide, a liberty I haven’t known since my own childhood — to interpret the environment.

Walking the parent consumerism line: how much is too much?

What did you get while you were pregnant? More importantly — what didn’t you get. How can parents STOP with the rampant consumerism already?